Photoluminescence spectra of clusters of group IV elements embedded in SiO2 matrices

Using a rf co-sputtering technique, SiO₂ films containing C, Si and Ge atoms were prepared and their Raman and photoluminescence spectra were measured. Raman spectra obtained are very broad indicating that the group IV elements are embedded in the form of clusters. The samples containing C clusters showed a very strong photoluminescence peak at around 2.1～2.2eV (visible with naked eye). The films containing Ge and Si clusters showed luminescence peaks at around 1.6～1.8eV. Strong luminescence was not observed for the samples containing well grown microcrystals a few nanometers in diameter.     

Effects of added surfactants on thermoreversible gelation of associating polymer solutions

The influence of added surfactants on physical properties of associating polymer solutions was examined by a new statistical‐mechanical theory of associating polymer solutions with multiple junctions and by computer simulation. The sol–gel transition line, the spinodal line, and the number of elastically effective chains in the mixed networks were calculated as functions of the concentration of added surfactants. All of them exhibited nonmonotonic behavior as a result of the following two competing mechanisms. One was the formation of new mixed micelles by binding surfactants onto the polymer associative groups. These micelles serve as crosslink junctions and promote gelation. The other was the replacement of polymer associative groups in the already formed network junctions by added surfactants. Such replacement lowers connectivity of junctions and destroys networks. The critical micelle concentration was also calculated. The results are compared with the reported experimental data on poly(ethylene oxide)‐based associating polymers and hydrophobically modified cellulose derivatives. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 733–751, 2004     

Loss of regularity for the solutions to hyperbolic equations with non‐regular coefficients—an application to Kirchhoff equation

We consider the Cauchy problem for second‐order strictly hyperbolic equations with time‐depending non‐regular coefficients. There is a possibility that singular coefficients make a regularity loss for the solution. The main purpose of this paper is to derive an optimal singularity for the coefficient that the Cauchy problem is C^∞ well‐posed. Moreover, we will apply such a result to the estimate of the existence time of the solution for Kirchhoff equation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of atomic stereomicroscope to surface science

A stereograph of atomic arrangement was displayed directly on the screen of display-type spherical-mirror analyzer without any computer-aided conversion process for the first time. This stereoscopic photograph enables viewing three-dimensional atomic arrangement. This technique was realized taking advantage of the phenomenon of circular dichroism in photoelectron angular distribution. The azimuthal shifts of forward focusing peaks in a photoelectron angular distribution taken with left and right helicity light in a special arrangement are the same as the parallaxes in a stereo view of atoms. Hence a stereoscopic recognition of three-dimensional atomic arrangement is possible, when the left eye and the right eye respectively view the two images obtained by left and right helicity light simultaneously.     

Regeneration of NADH and ketone hydrogenation by hydrogen with the combination of hydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - The regeneration of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (reduced form, NADH) by the reaction of NAD with hydrogen gas was carried out in the presence of the...     

One-step preparation of 3-alkoxypyrazine-2-carbonitriles from pyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitriles and related reactions

A series of 5,6-disubstituted 3-alkoxypyrazine-2-carbonitriles ( 2a-i ) were prepared from 5,6-disubstituted pyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitriles ( 1a-d ) by direct substitution with alcohols. Treatment of 1 with amines gave either pyrrolopyrazines ( 3a,b ) or substitution products ( 4,5 ). In a low temperature range, 1 afforded imidates and related compounds ( 6–11 ). The preference among these reactions depended on the 5,6-substituents and on the reaction conditions.     

Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography--mass spectrometry analysis of the volatile compounds of Evodia species fruits

In this study the investigation of the aroma compounds of dried fruits of Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. and E. rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. var. officinalis (Dode) Huang (i.e. E. officinalis Dode) (Rutaceae family) was carried out to identify the odorous target components responsible for the characteristic aroma of these valuable natural products. To avoid the traditional and more time-consuming hydrodistillation, the analyses were carried out by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The SPME headspace volatiles were collected using a divinylbenzene-carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (DVB-CAR-PDMS) fiber. The extraction conditions were optimized using a response surface experimental design to analyze the effect of three factors: extraction temperature, equilibrium time and extraction time. The best response was obtained when the extraction temperature was around 80 degrees C, equilibrium time near 25 min and extraction time close to 18 min. Analyses were performed by GC-MS with a 5% diphenyl-95% dimethyl polysiloxane (30 m x 0.25 mm I.D., film thickness 0.25 microm) capillary column using He as the carrier gas and a programmed temperature run. The main components of the HS-SPME samples of E. rutaecarpa (concentration >3.0%) were limonene (33.79%), beta-elemene (10.78%), linalool (8.15%), myrcene (5.83%), valencene (4.73%), beta-caryophyllene (4.62%), linalyl acetate (4.13%) and alpha-terpineol (3.99%). As for E. officinalis, the major compounds were myrcene (32.79%), limonene (18.36%), beta-caryophyllene (9.92%), trans-beta-ocimene (6.04%), linalool (5.88%), beta-elemene (7.85%) and valencene (4.62%).     

Dynamics of iodine anions in KI and LiI aqueous solutions studied by <Superscript>127</Superscript>I nuclear resonant quasi-elastic scattering

The dynamics of iodine ions in potassium iodide (KI) and lithium iodide (LiI) aqueous solutions have been studied through ¹²⁷I nuclear resonant quasi-elastic scattering (NRQES). A newly developed Si (12 2 2) double crystal monochromator for ¹²⁷I 57.6 keV excitation is used. Broadening due to a diffusive motion is measured in the energy spectra of the NRQES from the solutions.